United to Honor All of Its $5 Mistake Fares After Glitch in Loading Prices

Dennis Schaal, Skift

- Sep 13, 2013 1:16 pm

Skift Take

It is somewhat surprising that United has agreed to honor all of those mistake fares. But, considering all of the ill will that the airline generated through its glitch-ridden merger over the last year-and-a-half, this decision will be very well-received.

— Dennis Schaal

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United announced on Twitter that the airline will honor all of those $5 and $10 fares that travelers booked yesterday after United made an error in the way it loads in its fares.

The airline tweeted that it had reviewed the sitation and decided to “honor the tickets.”

We’ve reviewed the error that occurred yesterday and based on these specific circumstances, we will honor the tickets.

Airlines generally file their fares and all the complex rules associated with them with ATPCO, which transmits them to global distribution systems, online travel agencies, other vendors, and even governments.

Travelers visiting United.com yesterday found some rock-bottom fares, as low as $5 or $10, and booked them.

The problem, United said, wasn’t with the website itself, but it mistakenly filed fares for $0. Adding in various fees/charges may have led to the $5 to $10 fares.

United didn’t say yesterday whether it would honor the fares, but today came the announcement that it will do so.

In the past, under similar circumstances, some airlines have honored these mistake fares, and some haven’t.

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